Various newspaper articles:
Highway worker killed in accident south of St. Louis FESTUS, Mo. - A highway worker was killed and two others injured when they were struck by a pickup truck on Interstate 55 in Jefferson County, south of St. The accident happened at 2:38 p.m. Wednesday near Festus. JEFFREY STALEY, 40, of Caseyville, Ill., was killed when a southbound Dodge Ram pickup driven by Kent Sa
ddler, 64, of Ste. Genevieve, crossed into the work zone and onto the shoulder, striking all three men, the Missouri State Highway Patrol said. Staley was knocked over a guardrail and fell 15 to 20 feet. Staley was an employee of Collins & Hermann Inc., of St. Louis, said Missouri Department of Transportation spokesman Chris Sutton. The men were replacing guardrails at the bridge. Dentist pleads no contest in highway worker's death
By Robert Kelly
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
06/23/2008
Kent Sadler, 66, a dentist from Ste. Genevieve, Mo., pleaded no contest today to a charge of second-degree involuntary manslaughter in the death more than two years ago of highway worker Jeffrey Staley of Caseyville, who was struck by Sadler's pickup truck in a construction zone in Jefferson County. Sadler entered his plea in the Hillsboro courtroom of Jefferson County Circuit Judge M. Edward Williams, who scheduled sentencing for Aug. 18. Sadler told the judge he couldn't remember specifically what had happened when the pickup he was driving hit Staley, 40, and two other workers in the construction zone on Interstate 55, south of Festus, on May 24, 2006. But questioned further by the judge, Sadler conceded that enough evidence existed that he could have been convicted if the case had gone to trial. Michael Griffith, an assistant Jefferson County prosecutor, said he could present witnesses who would testify that Sadler was driving at a high speed when his truck swerved from the left lane of southbound I-55 into the right lane and then back into the left lane before leaving the roadway and hitting the three workers, who were on the left shoulder of the roadway. The workers had been installing reflectors on a bridge guardrail. Staley was knocked over the guardrail and fell 15 to 20 feet to his death, according to the Missouri Highway Patrol. The other workers, John E. Herdter, now 44, of St. Charles, and Rudolph D. Muzzarelli, 47, of Granite City, were treated for their injuries and released from Jefferson Memorial Hospital in Crystal City. Sadler could be sentenced to up to four years in prison and fined up to $5,000. In return for his plea, prosecutors are recommending a sentence of three years in prison but remain open to probation, Griffith said. Sadler has no previous criminal record. Dentist gets probation in highway death:
Ste. Genevieve dentist Kent Sadler, 66, will not serve time for his involvement in the death of construction worker Jeffrey Staley, 40, of Caseyville, Ill. (Fri, 22 Aug 2008 07:48:03 GMT)